1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having a poster print function for dividing an image into a plurality of regions and printing the respective regions of the image on sheets of paper.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, a so-called digital exposure method is put to practical use. In the method, a photosensitive material is exposed to a light being controlled on the basis of a digital image signal obtained by picking up an image on a film with a film scanner having an image pickup device such as a CCD. By adopting such a digital exposure method, various kinds of image processing, such as color correction, density correction, and sharpness processing, can be performed with a high degree of freedom. In addition, rapid reprint processing becomes possible. Further, a higher-quality good print can be obtained that is superior in reproducibility of color and density and in resolution.
A photo processing apparatus using such a digital exposure method as described above has in its image processing unit a poster print function for dividing an image into a plurality of regions and printing each region of the image on a sheet of paper. In poster printing, the positions at which the image is divided are determined by the capacity of a memory to be used, the output paper size, and the output image size of the apparatus. As a result, a principal part of the image, for example, the face of a person, may be divided, which makes the obtained prints hard to see. In view of the problem, JP-A-2003-348331 discloses a technique in which an operator can select the optimum one of a plurality of division patterns including a plurality of basic division patterns and division patterns changeable on the basis of the basic division patterns, stored in advance.
However, such division patterns stored in advance can not always realize image division that brings about prints easy to see. Therefore, even by the prior art technique, there is a case wherein, for example, a principal part of an image is divided and consequently prints hard to see are obtained.